Ojai: Talk of the Town

James Morrison is a familiar presence on the stage and screen, having had key roles in the hyper-kinetic "24" where he played the head of the counter-terrorism unit, and the prison warden in David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" (co-written by his friend and fellow Ojai resident Mark Frost. Having looked forward to this conversation for ages, he did not disappoint. Besides sharing that we were both the fifth...

We talk with Dr. Pops about the promising vaccines in human trial, one from Pfizer and the other from Moderna. Both companies said they will file for an emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks. One or the other vaccine could be ready as early as January, and would likely go to front-line workers in the medical field. The Pfizer vaccine will be a two-st...

Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell had an illustrious career in New York State as a Republican County activist and close associate and friend of three-term Gov. George Pataki. He also spent six years as the Secretary of State of New York, one of Pataki's key cabinet members. He is also a  "Never Trumper" who fears America's authoritarian turn during the past four years. He was born in England, where...

For 25 years now, Kim Maxwell, a performer herself, has taught Ojai people on how to tell their stories and how to perform them, and how to grow in the process. For the past three years, she and her crew, which includes her daughter Lily, have produced "The Townies" podcast, which includes only-in-Ojai conversations, music, performances, our own "Prairie Home Companion." Kim, a native of Canada's...

It's a real treat to check in with the vivacious and witty Krista Kim & Katherine McClelland of the popular Holy F*ck Podcast. The two Ojai women — coaches, counselors (Katherine is also a minister) and authors began their podcast, now in its third season, after a serendipitous encounter at a local watering hole.  Their overlapping yet distinct practices give them the insights into themse...

Through a demoralizing Spring,  Summer and now Fall of cancellations - from the Tennis Tournament to Ojai Day -  one prestigious event is still happening. With its inventive and innovative lineup of virtual, and even a few select few in-person activities Taste of Ojai is coming this Sunday, October 25th at 5 p.m. This issue of the podcast we speak with event organizer Tara Saylor, who is...

Special Bonus Episode: Ojai's first directly elected Mayor, Johnny Johnston, is nearing the end of his second and final term. It seemed a good time to catch up with what's going in the city with the pandemic, the coming election and what he hopes for Ojai's future. The lawsuit that forced the city and school district to divide into proportionally populated districts - designed to increase minority...

Lucy Bellwood, adventure cartoonist and artist extraordinaire, has accomplished significant feats for someone still so young, including developing a loyal and devoted fan base. She is currently working on a book project with Kate Milford about a seafaring adventure graphic novel series with kind and cuddly capybaras.  We talk about the eternal artistic hustle, about Kant's admonition "to not...

John Broesamle and his wife Kathy moved to Ojai more than 40 years ago, where they both rolled up their sleeves and got involved, especially on environmental issues. They have been at the forefront of fights against uranium and gypsum mines, freeways criss-crossing the valley, landfills, double-trailer trucks laden with gravel rumbling past our public schools, and, more recently, fracking permits...

It took a great deal of courage for Tim Arlon (aka TD Lind) to muster up the courage to ask family friend, Glyn Johns, the legendary producer of such renowned bands as the Rolling Stones and The Who, to produce his most recent record, "Little Mr. Big Man," with former bandmate Screamin' John. Johns' reply was a dream come true for any musician, "What took you so long?" The record was released in O...

The Agora Foundation has been a key part of the intellectual landscape of Ojai for a decade now, bringing in top teachers for bracing and wide-ranging discussions of the Great Books Seminars. Executive director Andy Gilman was a co-founder of Agora as well as of the well-received Ojai Chautauqua panels, which bring together top panelists for even-handed dialogue about knotty issue. While the pande...

Michelaina Johnson, a Ph. D candidate in the Environmental Studies program at UC Santa Cruz, spent a year researching the lack of affordable housing in Ojai and possible solutions. The results of that research were published in a highly readable account in the Fall issue of Ojai Quarterly.  Johnson has deep roots in the community, going back generations, and she was hearing from her many loca...

The Ojai Playwrights Conference, which takes over two weeks in August, is one the foremost cultural occasions in the country. Typically, the OPC selects eight plays for intensive workshops with experienced dramaturges, theater directors and producers, culminating in stage reads for the public in  highly anticipated shows. Sadly, this year the in-person OPC was another victim of the pandemic....

In a preview of a hugely entertaining feature in the Fall issue of Ojai Quarterly by Kit Stolz, (which will hit the streets August 28th), we talk about Franz Lidz has had a dream career in journalism, covering such characters as future president Donald Trump trying build a golf course in Scotland, and his conflicts with the colorful locals, reminiscent of the film "Local Hero." He spent 27 years a...

Laura Walter, the coordinator for the Ojai Music Festival's Bravo program, provides music education for Ojai's kindergarten through 3rd grade students. Since the pandemic, Walter has pivoted deftly to providing that music curriculum online. It's not been without its challenges, as anyone who tried to sing "Happy Birthday" over a Zoom call can attest.  Still, this partnership between the Music...

Lila Glasoe Francese idolized her older sister, Carolyn Glasoe Bailey when they were growing up in Minneapolis for good reason. At age 19, Carolyn opened an art gallery just as the Minneapolis art scene was burgeoning, and introduced many artists to the wider world as a gallerist and curator for private collectors. Carolyn introduced Lila to the world of art, fine dining and travel. She also intro...

Reed Fish and his wife Liz took off a year to travel the world, collecting memories like FDR collected stamps. After his return to California, he set up shop in Ojai as a photographer and videographer, raising his family and working hard.  Before those adventures, he made a well-received film called "I am Reed Fish," which came out in 2007 and starred Jay Baruchel, Alexis Bledel, Schuyler Fis...

Mark Frost is one of the foremost authors, screenwriters and producers in Hollywood (and Ojai). From his early days on the stage at the famous Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, to his years in the legendary writer's room with Stephen Bochco, David Milch and others with "Hill Street Blues," Mark Frost has been creating and working with some of the best minds in the business. So in the late 1980s when...

Given the news of the day, we reached out to Bill Gilbreth, the prominent attorney who served both as a prosecutor during the Watergate hearings, and as a defense attorney for several organized crime figures. Talk about "intersectionality." We also talk about sending federal Border Patrol troops into Portland and other cities, the showdown between protestors, mayors and President Trump. Bill grew...

Natalie Krim is an established artist with a large following who recently moved to Ojai, just before the world went into lockdown. Her drawings are vivid and expressive, usually showing women in sensuous, flowing lines often in acts of self care. Slightly naughty, always fun - her drawings are a tonic for these strange times. We talk about how she found Ojai and made the decision to relocate here...

Eric Goode knew that he had an amazing show on his hands with "Tiger King," the seven-episode documentary series about Joe Exotic, the gay polygamist zookeeper in Oklahoma who is now serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison for a murder-for-hire plot against his chief critic, animal activist Carole Baskin. The Netflix show's colorful cast of eccentrics helped the show capture the cultural mome...

Porch Gallery hosted the first gallery show opening over two days at the end of June with Shana Mabari's "Constellatio: Planeta: Stella" featuring the work of an artist who went into the stratosphere on a NASA mission with an enormous telescope to observe black holes, quasars and other astronomical phenomenon. The opening was spaced over two days and insured careful social distancing by limiting t...

Bob Wick is much more than a media magnate and co-owner of Wick Communications, a chain of newspapers and radio stations across the country. He is also a renowned artist, the creator of monumental bronzes that bring together man and nature in compelling and insightful ways. He also taught art at Kent State University in the 1960s and knew well many of the leading figures from that tumultuous era....

Andrew Bradigan, former Ojai resident (and the podcast host's son) lives and works in Nashville, TN as a sales manager for Postmates, the food delivery service. In early March, there were several confirmed cases of Covid19.  Postmates' 600 employees were moved out of the office and into quarantine, setting up their schedules and living situations to work from home. However, it was too late fo...

Stacy Margolin Potter reached into the top ranks of pro tennis players during a golden age of women's tennis, along with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chrissie Evert, reaching #18 in ranking. She shares with "Ojai: Talk of the Town" her deep love of, and long history with, Ojai where she won seven titles at the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, the world's oldest amateur tennis tournament. S...